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Font Size:Default font sizeLarger font size A 75-foot long pedestrian bridge is raised into position as workers for Stark Excavating build a three-section bridge for Constitution Trail over Oakland Ave., Saturday, March 27, 2010, in Bloomington. (The Pantagraph, David Proeber) ...Related LinksRelated: Photo gallery: Constitution Trail bridge construction 03/28/10BLOOMINGTON —An anticipated $1.6 million addition to the Constitution Trail took another step toward completion Saturday when three sections of concrete were added to an overpass under construction at Oakland Avenue.

Oakland between Bunn and McClun streets was closed to traffic Saturday as workers positioned a 17-foot high pedestrian bridge linking two sides of the trail. The ¾-mile addition will link the hiking and biking trail between Grove Street and Croxton Avenue.

Public Works Director Jim Karch said the trail extension will finish in May or June.

Federal funds paid for $1 million while park and water funds cover the city’s share of the project costs. Construction on the trail addition started in spring 2009, Karch said.

Construction began last week on the 3.7 mile Bike Trail along Highway 66 from South Bloomington to Shirley Illinois. Completion is expected this fall. Construction of the 7/10 mile extension of the Constitution Trail Main North South Branch (also part of Bike Route 66) is also continuing with completion of that segment expected this summer. Also at the last meeting of the Bike Route 66 Central Committee, McLean County announced they are applying for grants that would build a trail segment from North Normal along Route 66 to the Towanda Bike Trail. Logan County Officials announced they had signed Bike Route Segments in Logan County.

Definitely a lot of exciting things are happening in Central Illinois to develop Bike Route 66.

New 3.7 mile trail extension from South Bloomington to Shirley IL is complete. This will become part of the Bike Route 66. This trail will allow a route change to shortcut the current route about 2 miles. Bloomington just completed 2 months ago a 1/2 mile extension of the trail that is also part of the Route 66.

Current online directions have not yet been updated. I have suggested new directions that take advantage of these projects. We are awaiting completion of one other sidepath project of about 1/2 mile of trail. It is currently under construction. At that point we will hopefully update the online route.

Adventure Cycling Association today announced that its next long-distance cycling route will be Bicycle Route 66. Embracing the spirit of "The Mother Road," the new route will follow the famous corridor from Chicago to Los Angeles on roads appropriate for cyclists and, when possible, on sections of the historic highway.

"Route 66 was the overwhelming favorite among our members for a new long-distance route," said Carla Majernik, Adventure Cycling's routes and mapping director. "It's a legendary corridor and, for our route network, a critical link through areas where we have no routes, such as Oklahoma."

Established 84 years ago in November 1926, Route 66 was one of the original U.S. highways, ferrying travelers and migrants between Chicago and Los Angeles along the 2,451-mile roadway. The route traversed Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, connecting major cities such as Chicago, St. Louis, Oklahoma City, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Flagstaff, and Los Angeles. "The Mother Road" also flowed through small communities, which blossomed in the wake of the steady stream of travelers.

Small towns will be an important feature of Bicycle Route 66, and are favorite attractions for touring cyclists who look to get off the beaten path and make connections with locals during their journeys.

Similar to the flow of motor vehicle travelers along the original "Main Street of America," the influx of cyclists will provide an economic boost to small communities on the new route. There is growing evidence that touring cyclists spend more time in the towns that they visit, lingering (and spending) more than the average tourist. Wisconsin released a report earlier this year that out-of-state cyclists generate more than $530 million in economic development annually. And according to a 2008 study done along the Great Allegheny Passage (a nearly 150-mile bike trail situated between Cumberland, Maryland, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), bicycle tourism has become a major economic force. Business owners reported that a quarter of their gross income comes from trail users and two-thirds of the businesses saw an increase in their revenue due to their location on the trail. Despite the economic downturn in 2008, businesses saw an increase in gross revenue attributable to the trail (from $32.6 million in 2007 to $40.6 million in 2008) and paid nearly 20% more wages as a result.

Lon Haldeman, an experienced Route 66 bike tour leader said, "This route can be done as a camping tour in roadside campgrounds, however there are many unique motels along the route which make this a good credit card tour type route. Eating in the old cafes and diners is part of the charm."

Bicycle Route 66 will take in the historic highway's iconic urban hubs, such as Chicago and St. Louis, marking the first time that Adventure Cycling's routes, which generally keep cyclists on the outskirts of large urban areas, will mesh with the goals of the official U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS), which aims to connect rural and urban areas, from countryside to suburbs to city center. This will also be the first time that an Adventure Cycling route and an official U.S. Bicycle Route (USBR 66) will be developed in tandem.

"The vision for Bicycle Route 66 is the same as the original vision for Route 66, which was to connect the main streets of rural and urban communities," said Ginny Sullivan, special projects director for Adventure Cycling. "Bicycle Route 66 will be a perfect choice for traveling cyclists looking to explore the American heartland's natural beauty, history, and funky out-of-the-way places."

Work to create Bicycle Route 66 will involve partnerships between Adventure Cycling and organizations already working on implementation of state cycling routes that will follow the Route 66 corridor, for example in California, Illinois, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Kevin Musset, past president of the Oklahoma Bicycle Coalition, said, "We are very excited that Adventure Cycling is undertaking this project. We will work with them however we can.

Preliminary development of Bicycle Route 66 will begin this winter, with the publication of maps expected in about 3 to 4 years, a typical timeline for development of a new Adventure Cycling long-distance route and all the accompanying information on services that cyclists have come to expect. Once complete, Bicycle Route 66 will bring Adventure Cycling's Route Network to over 43,000 miles.

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Adventure Cycling Association is the premier bicycle travel organization in North America with over 44,000 members. A nonprofit organization, its mission is to inspire people of all ages to travel by bicycle. It produces routes and maps for cycling in North America, organizes more than 45 tours annually, and publishes the best bicycle-travel information anywhere, including Adventure Cyclist magazine and The Cyclists' Yellow Pages online. With 40,699 meticulously mapped miles in the Adventure Cycling Route Network, Adventure Cycling gives cyclists the tools and confidence to create their own bike travel adventures. Contact the office at (800) 755-BIKE (2453), info@adventurecycling.org, or visit www.adventurecycling.org.

McLean County Illinois has been awarded a Bike Trail grant to put offroad a section of the the Bike Route 66 from north Normal to a current trail located to the Northeast in the village of Towanda. I am not sure of the exact distance to be built, but probably 3 to 5 mile range. Construction probably to be done in 2011.

Any of y'all figured out what you are going to do with the 150 miles between Albuquerque and Gallup? I found one spot: The Dancing eagle Casino and RV park, it's situated about 50 miles west of Albuquerque, but that still leaves 100 miles of nothing. That's a hell of a gap even for a western A.C.A. route.

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May you always have the winds at your back, and a low enough gear for the grades